Category: Timber & Industrial Timber Products

Only processed timber can be used provided they are made out of reliable materials. However, doors and other wooden fittings should be restricted to wet areas like the bathroom.

These boards are made of particles of wood embedded in synthetic resins, which are then pressed under heat. They are made by extrusion pressing or by pressing between parallel plates. In the extrusion pressing process, the particles are oriented in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the board, whereas in the other case the… Continue reading Particle Board or Chip Board

Plywoods are boards which are prepared from thin layers of wood or veneers. Veneers are thin sheets of slices of wood of superior quality. The thickness of veneers varies from 0.4 to 6 mm. To make plywood, round logs of 1.5–2.5 m lengths are first cut. They are then steamed and veneers are cut from… Continue reading Plywood

To meet the minor needs of wood works, natural wood can be made into many other industrial products by industrial processes for building construction. These industrial-made products are also called composite boards. The common industrial timber products are:

The Moisture Content Test is an important test that has to be performed for all types of works. The presence of high moisture produces shrinkage of wood work, attack by organisms, causes warping, etc. Even blistering of paints occurs if the moisture content is high. In this test, the weight of moist wood and the… Continue reading Moisture Content Test

The size of the specimen is 5 cm × 5 cm × 6.25 cm and notched in a corner so as to produce a failure on 5 cm × 5 cm surface in the radial or tangential surface as desired. Shear strength is determined only parallel to the grain. Shear strength is important when the… Continue reading Shear Strength Test

The specimen used for tensile strength test is of size 5 cm × 5 cm × 20 cm long. The testing is done in a wood testing machine. The load may be applied either parallel to the grains or perpendicular to the grains. The tested result is compared with the standard value.

Generally, wood for building construction is not tested in the laboratory. It is a practice to classify them by their species and by visually examining them for defects. However, the following tests are conducted for important works:

The method of preservative treatment to be used depends on the use of wood in construction. The general methods adopted are as follows: 1. Charring In this method, the ends of the timber are burnt to about 1.5 cm and then quenched in water. This charred end act as a protective coat. This is particularly… Continue reading Preservative Treatment of Timber